Women on a Roll

Alexandria women will be heading out on two wheels from Jones Point Park onSunday, May 4th, to let the local bike shops know that they are an important and rapidly growing market for them. "Women are a powerful consumer force," says the League of American Bicyclists in its August 2013 "Women on a Roll" report on women's cycling, "but too often they do not feel welcome in bike shops or do not feel products address their desires and needs."

The ride is being organized by the Alexandria Spokeswomen, a group that formed in September 2013 out of a city focus group on women's cycling. One of the key issues discussed was that many women bike riders do not feel comfortable in shops and on rides, which are often dominated by men. The League's report, which had just been released, validated that sentiment. It also showed that bike shops might be wise to provide a wider selection of women's clothing and more women-targeted classes, events and rides:

From 2013 to 2012, the number of women and girls participating in bicycling rose 20 percent, while the number of men and boys dropped 0.5 percent.

Sixty percent of bicycle owners aged 17- to 28-years-old are women.

Any women who live in or ride in Alexandria are invited to participate in the Women on a Roll Ride, a leisurely ride for all levels of fitness. The group will meet up at Jones Point Park (just south of Old Town on the Potomac and under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge) at 9:30 a.m. and then head out on their bikes at 10 a.m. Riders are encouraged to wear green -- a not-so-subtle reminder that this up-and-coming market can make shops some green of their own. All of the shops have offered to provide refreshments and snacks for the riders. The group will visit shops in the following order:

Bicycle Pro Shop

Spokes, Etc. (Quaker Lane)

Velocity Bicycle Co-op

Wheel Nuts

Big Wheel Bikes

There is no cost to ride, but all participants must wear a helmet. Online registration is available at http://goo.gl/7v8PJ2. For more information about the ride and the Alexandria Spokeswomen, visit Alexandriaspokeswomen.wordpress.com. Below is the letter that the Alexandria Spokeswomen sent to each of the Alexandria bike shops.